Peggy Lee, CLP Sustainable Energy

The SUSTAIN US curriculum is a bi-lingual sustainable energy curriculum designed specifically for junior secondary students in Hong Kong. The goal is to provide materials that enrich the core junior secondary science curriculum and could be adapted for upper secondary classes. It is a collaborative effort among CLP, teachers and schools in Hong Kong, and advisors from universities, teachers’ association and the Government.

The curriculum includes a set of bi-lingual teachers’ manuals and 12 units of course materials, student reading materials, handouts and worksheets developed by a team of international and local experts. The package also includes complementary and laboratory materials, such as books, brochures and solar cells.

It emphasises the use of sustainable energy and introduces students to the pros and cons of various energy sources. The curriculum starts with an energy introduction and energy transfer information. It follows the evolution of the cultural use of energy and gadgets – students can compare energy use changes over the generations in Hong Kong, and question how much energy is used per household, giving an idea of energy efficiency.

Renewable energy like solar and wind are also discussed. By conducting their own experiments, students can learn for themselves about the tradeoffs that need to be considered in making energy decisions. They can also learn how electricity is generated from renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, thus developing a better understanding on ways to use energy more efficiently in their personal, family and community lives. Armed with this information, the younger generation will grow up with the ability to make wise energy decisions and help society to achieve energy sustainability.

Sustainable energy; renewable energy; energy efficiency; energy conservation; solar; wind; sustainability

The project began in late 2003, as part of the company’s renewable energy initiative. The development of the curriculum was fully supported by the then Education and Manpower Bureau.

A one-year pilot programme was successfully run in 2004, with the support of about 100 secondary school teachers, who provided practical and useful feedback to help finalise the content of the curriculum.

The curriculum was officially launched in late 2005 to local schools and was further rolled out to international schools in Hong Kong in 2007. About 200 schools in Hong Kong are using the curriculum, and the curriculum content is available online at the Hong Kong Education City.

http://www.clpgroup.com/

http://iworld.hkedcity.net/is/sustainus